I've Got A Secret
by acigarisjustacigar
Summary: We all have our little secrets. Who could have known that The Joker would have a son? Who could have known the secret of Batman's closest ally? Can love truly blossom amongst the fire and blood of Gotham? Violence and swearing. I don't own Batman. OC's.
1. I Know Something You Don't

The Batman stood alone atop the building, taking the time to simply reflect on Gotham's momentary peace. He knew it wasn't for long. The Joker had been out of Arkham Asylum just three months, and in those three months had laid a bank, three schools and a church to waste.

It would have been a hell of a lot more if he hadn't finally let that kid join him. Sure, it made him feel guilty he was letting someone barely out of school get knocked about by psychopaths but they paid for it tenfold. The protectiveness he felt over The Robin wasn't really needed, though he felt it all the same.

Besides, being Alfred's godchild made the smart-mouthed kid in the red one to watch. If left without anything productive to do the kid was a nightmare and if anything happened he'd get his ass kicked by his own butler.

Speaking of which, where was Robin?

This wasn't normal. Late for work, late to get up, late for dinner. That was Robin. Late for a patrol? Highly, highly unlikely.

Unless, yet again, that little punk had decided to go on patrol alone. Expressly forbidden, but repeated at least once a week.

He became aware of someone behind him. He turned. Gordon stood there, a large package in his hands.

"I'm doing this at great personal risk. But you need to see this. It was left at HQ... addressed to you." His eyes were sad. Batman took the package and tore off the brown paper. Beneath it was a small birdcage with a robin inside. The tiny bird looked up at him, head cocked on one side. Fitted to the little door was a small device, set to explode if the cage was breached.

The message was undeniably clear. In two seconds the cage was thrust back into commissioner Gordon's hands and the Batman was gone.

"Ow! Fuck!" The human punch bag swung from its wrists, taking thump after thump. The men delivering the punishment grinned at each other. "For Christ's sake! This has gone on for half an hour now! Good God, you people must be truly _base_." The clipped English accent seemed to grate on their nerves even more. One of them advanced, fist swung back. Despite the two lanky legs being roped together they came up and, like a gazelle kicking a pursuing lion, slammed the scruffy red converses into the man's face.

He, almost literally, ate shoe.

Before the man's friends could pummel their captive into a pulp, a harsh, cackling laugh sounded at the edge of the room. A face smothered in white paint and grinning ear-to-ear entered the meagre light. The Joker watched his young prey struggle, and yet could not break free.

The Robin was well and truly caged.

He went a little closer, examining the red mask that shielded Batman's sidekick's identity. So very, very careless of his arch-enemy to employ a child. He took a wild guess at a boy of fifteen? Sixteen? A very weedy eighteen?

And yet, the closer he got, he realised something was not quite right.

"Well, well, well." He giggled. His faithful men parted to let him through. He stood nose-to-nose with his prey. "Oh, _sure-_ly not." He reached up and pulled the pointed mask away.

A face was revealed. Battered, bruised and bloody, but unmistakably female. Flaming red hair, cut short and choppy framed a soft, freckled face. Green eyes burned into his, aflame with anger. She spat at him, but it missed, her aim seriously impaired by blows to the head. The head in question lolled slightly, eyes screwed shut with pain.

"Ugh. Wank...er...." The girl croaked. "Gonna... kill... you."

"Now if I know Batman, I'm sure that wasn't the values he's taught you." The Joker replied.

"I'm not Batman."

"No, but you do follow him around like a lost little _pup_." The Joker took her face in his hands. To his surprise she looked straight at him, lips pulled back over her teeth slightly in a snarl, revealing a set of braces. How very... adorable. "Surely he must be your tutor. Your teacher, your master..."

"We share the same views. That's enough." The girl hissed, kicking slightly.

"Oh, you want to get _down_? Sure, you should have asked!" The Joker nodded to the nearest lackey. The girl found herself abruptly on the floor.

"Oh, Jesus!" She coughed.

"Now, now, let's not get blasphemous." The Joker cackled, watching Robin sit up on her haunches and wipe away a smear of blood.

"If there was a god he would have struck you stone dead by now." The Joker giggled yet again, bending down to her level.

"And what if there is, and he simply does not care? What then?" He asked, poking her in the shoulder.

"Then he's a bastard, just like you." She shrugged. "Who cares?"

The Joker saw, with growing amusement, that this here was another little fighter. A live wire. Best to go carefully if he didn't want to get a shock. "Go on then. Twist my neck and leave my battered body somewhere obscene." She sighed. The Joker guessed that was partly the concussion speaking those ballsy words, and yet... there was something solidly tough about the kid.

Tough nuts were always the most fun to break.

"No. You intrigue me. Why do you think I've let Batman live this long? Because he's just a s_cream_ to wind up."

"Oh, I'm intriguing? That's nice. I'll remember that next time I kick you in the teeth." The girl grinned fiercely. The Joker winced theatrically, remembering the last little skirmish he'd had with Batman and his pet.

"That wasn't nice."

"Blowing up and maiming innocent people is not nice." Robin pointed out.

"Tou_ché_ my dear. Oh, what did you say your name was?" He grinned.

"Robin."

"And I'm sure Batman has "Batman" written on his credit card. Don't be tiresome." He said, scolding.

"He might. What do you know?" Robin smiled slyly. "You're a pretty crap enemy. You've never seen his face, you don't know his name..."

"I don't like your tone. Respect your elders, missy." He gave her two small yet sharp slaps on one bruised cheek. "How old are you... sixteen? Seventeen?"

"Nineteen, clown."

"What a coincidence. Exactly the same age I was when I got these scars... by the way, do you know how I got them?"

Robin was spared his rambling and grotesque account. The door to the small room sung open. Harsh light fell on the company. A tall figure stood in the doorway. For a moment Robin dared to hope.

"Father, your... message has been delivered." Robin frowned at the new voice, forgetting her disappointment.

_Father? What the hell?_

A tall boy, sandy blonde hair falling elegantly in his face, shut the door and walked into the pool of light the light bulb created. Robin held back a gasp. The boy's features were beautiful... except for the twisted scars at the side of each mouth. _Now, that ain't right. _She thought, her stomach twisting.

She glared at the Joker. He put his hands out.

"Hey, now, it's not what you think. Little John..."

"Jonah." The boy interrupted, quietly.

"Little _Jonah _here has always wanted to be just" He grabbed the back of the boy's head. "Like" He tucked Jonah's head under his arm in a rough headlock. "His _Daddy_!" He began to grind his knuckles into the younger man's head, laughing loudly. The lad obviously knew better than to struggle.

Robin didn't.

Despite the numerous broken bones and bruises she leapt up and tried to jump the Joker, but a huge fist slammed into her stomach and she was sent skidding across the floor. "Hey, now isn't that sweet, _Son?"_ The Joker grabbed the boy's hair and dragged him over to where Robin was lying. "See, this is just _so _typical of someone who spends their time with Batman." He let his son go and swung a purple boot into Robin's ribs. "You just can't _help_ trying to stick up for people who don't give a _damn"_ he bent down, knife in hand "about whether you live, or die." Robin coughed as he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. "You think the citizens of Gotham would shed tears for their so-called heroes?" He put the blade to her throat. "You think even _Batman _would care if you ended up six feet under?" The girl let out a strangled chuckle, edged with a little bit of insanity. Hm. Interesting.

"Well, he must care to some degree. He'll be here soon. I can promise you that." The Joker tired of her talk. He grabbed her throat.

"So where is it, hm? The little tracking device? Are we gonna have to _strip search _you?" The cronies nearby hurr-hurred and leered. "Or... is it buried deeper. Are we going to have to dig deeper to find this little tell-tale?" The hand holding the knife suddenly shot and slashed away a little of the scarlet material at Robin's shoulder. _How'd he know? _Robin thought, as the Joker grinned. "Bingo."

The cool blade pressed against the tiny bump, the only imperfection on the flawless skin. Robin shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the pain.

"Too late."

A black-clad fist smashed into the back of the Joker's head. Robin rolled away, jumped up and hammered her knee into the stomach of the first clown. He fell to the floor, wheezing. The other two were soon to join her. A pair of hands grabbed her from behind. She jumped, tensed ready to strike, but stopped as they slipped the mask back on her face.

"Jonah?"

She spun round, but he left the room, hollering for more guards. Strange. Quickly she joined Batman as he held the Joker pinned against the wall. The maniac howled with laughter. "Shut UP!" Robin yelled. "Good GOD you are annoying."

"Speak for _yourself, _little red." He snickered, his tongue flicking over his lips. "What's the deal, Bat_man?_ You're employing _little girls _now?"

"Don't think you can use this, Joker. You've got nothing." Batman said harshly.

"Ooh, I've got something. Dunno what yet, but I've got it." The Joker cackled. He looked straight at Robin and winked. "See you around, Red." There was the sound of sirens outside.

"Fuck. It's the fuzz. Leave him, let's scatter!" Robin tugged Batman away. She grabbed her confiscated weapons and they made it out of the abandoned warehouse and away from the barking dogs and wailing sirens.

Pity, then, that so did the Joker.

, h


	2. Born With Tragedy In Their Blood

Oh, blimey! I didn't think I'd get so much positive feedback so soon... That really fired me up for the next chapter. Thanks guys! ^^

"Listen you two- naff OFF!"

Ruby Banks slammed the large door in the face of her two guardians. They looked at each other, both trying to keep their temper under control.

"Ruby, you're behaving like a child. Open the door." Bruce knocked loudly. His answer was the click of the lock turning. "Ruby!"

"I'm getting in the shower! Fu... Go away!" She yelled. She didn't want to swear in front of Alfred. She was in deep enough trouble with both of them.

"Ruby, we need to talk about this. The Joker knows your face! You think he's just going to forget that to play fair?"

"I'm not stupid, Bruce! But he can't do much can he? I don't exist, _remember?" _She shouted back. It was true enough. Ruby Banks was nobody. Firmly under the wing of the famous Bruce Wayne, untouchable yet with no passport, no birth certificate, no identity, save for a mask.

It was better that way.

She had come to Alfred two years before. By that time Alfred had almost forgotten he even had a godchild. Even more surprising... harrowing, shocking... was the story the girl had turned up with on his doorstep. Emily and Graham Banks, some of Alfred's closest and oldest friends from England were dead. One by suicide, the other by murder.

Graham, the last time Alfred had seen him on a visiting trip back to England, was a rich yet devoted man who loved his family and had asked him, before he left, to be godfather to their 2-month-old baby, Ruby.

Twelve years later he had become a monster. His business floored and his self-worth in the dirt, he began to drink. And when he drank, respectable, honest Graham turned his anger to his wife and only child. Ruby became twisted and angry for six years under her father's tyrannical reign, causing havoc wherever she could, especially at school. When her mother committed suicide it got far worse; violence, vandalism and anarchy skipped her from school to school, while every night she returned to her life behind a locked bedroom door, shutting herself away from her father lest he should turn on her.

It was after one of these troublesome incidents that her life, however horrible, was destroyed. Seventeen-year-old Ruby, sent home early with a disgruntled letter from her head teacher stating numerous wrongdoings, returned to her home to find it in flames. Turned out that her father owed money to a lot of people. Bad people, who had no problem with leaving a teenage girl homeless and orphaned. With both parents dead, Ruby spent a week in a care home until a package came for her. It was from a friend of her mother's. Emily must have known something like this would happen, and set up a final lifeline for her daughter. Although in life she had not been strong enough to liberate herself and her child, in death she handed Ruby her freedom. Inside were details of Alfred's whereabouts, a wad of cash and a letter from her mother.

The letter she had never read. But she had enough to get herself over to America and throw herself at Alfred's mercy. And of course, he had been merciful, treating her as one of his own as he had done Gotham's favourite business tycoon, Bruce Wayne. Bruce, too, had no objections with sheltering a girl with a tragic past that she needed ridding of. Until the day that Ruby grew more and more absent at night, and a certain vigilante in red began picking up wayward criminals that the famous Batman may have missed on his nightly prowl, all trussed up for the cops with a large red 'R' spray painted on their chests.

The night that the Batman and Robin had run in to each other was awkward. Bruce knew straight away who she was, and vice-versa. Ruby was dragged home in disgrace. But after a lot of arguments, pleading and cajoling, Bruce had finally let her stand at his side. Firmly in place as his student and an extra pair of hands, and where it was possible, separate. No sentimental connection displayed that his enemies could use.

"Ruby." Again, with the shouting. _Shut up, Bruce._ He did piss her off a fair bit. "You can't ignore the Joker. He will find you."

"Bit hard to ignore him, isn't it? Guy in scary clown makeup? See him for miles."

"Don't get smart with me. He is very likely to track you here and you know it."

"Of course I know it." She swung the door open and put one hand on a badly bruised hip. "Tonight was a one-off. Promise. I won't run off again." Her voice was level but panic had begun to creep up her spine. "I'll live at HQ. There's living quarters down there, right?"

"We don't think so, Rubes." Said Bruce gently. "You'd go mad after one week cooped up underground. We- I mean I- think it would be best if…"

"No." Ruby half-shouted. "I'm not leaving. No."

"Just for a few weeks..." Bruce began.

"No! Don't send me away. Please." He voice turned begging. Bruce screwed up his face slightly and turned to Alfred.

_Bastard._ Thought Ruby. _If Alfred tells me to go I will and he knows it._

"Oh, is it down to me then, kids?" Alfred said, a slight smile on his face. "Well, I say that there's no doubt that Ruby needs to lie low for a while, but it wasn't as if she had a sparkling social life before." _Thanks, Alfred._ "Way I see it, sending her away would be counter-productive and a little over-protective." He said with a smile.

Bruce frowned. Ruby kept it in but inside she wanted to sing. _Ha, Bruce. Ruby one, you zero._ "But you are on house arrest I'm afraid."

Ruby looked out through the windows of the recently re-built Wayne Mansion, at the pink dawn slowly edging it's way over the hilltops.

"Fair enough. I can catch up on some sleep." She grinned. The atmosphere was lightened.

"Oh, no you don't. We're still training every day." Bruce warned. Although Bruce was almost as much of a daytime slob as Ruby he was determined to cram as much fighting knowledge as he could into her reluctant brain. "You're not a sixteen-year-old street fighter anymore." He would say, often accompanying a cuff to the back of the head. "You have thousands of lives depending on you, and you want to punch like _that?"_

There were three faces Bruce wore around her- Bruce the friend, Bruce the Batman and Bruce the bossy, harsh, violent and irritating teacher. She knew which one she liked the least. Groaning, she bid a good night to Bruce and Alfred and closed the door, far less violently this time.

Her outfit lacked the armour and high-tech that Bruce's did, but it was loose and easy, like a gi (Karate uniform). Just a simple bulletproof breastplate and a pair of arm guards protected the skin underneath. Her mask was more masquerade style than a helmet, and her cape was smaller, although when activated it had the wing-like properties that Bruce's possessed. All of these were either blood red or ebony black. She had few gadgets, preferring always to fight in the raw style that had so many times saved her life against muggers and gang members that she had pissed off back in England.

What made her really dangerous was her fiery rage against the very idea of the strong picking on the weak. That and her fierce loyalty to Bruce. In fact, she was very surprised he hadn't picked up on the true reason why she swore fealty to him.

Nobody could know. Ever.

She showered and climbed groaning into bed. A couple of cracked ribs was nothing compared to the time she was nearly shot in mid-flight and took a nose-dive to avoid it. She took damage in places she didn't even know she had that day. And, as was to be expected, Bruce had taken the shooter responsible and tied him up sixty feet off the ground by his feet.

She was his student, his friend, and his own personal little pain in the ass. That was more than enough, she told herself sternly.

*

"Robin and Johnnie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."

Jonah tried to sleep, but The Joker, his father, jumped on the bed. "Get up, get up, Johnnie! Seize the day! We're off to find your little lady friend!" He kicked Jonah in the head, jumped off the small bed and grabbed his son by the foot, dragging him from under the duvet. "C'mon. You can't slob around all day. A crazy's work is never done, Sonny _Jim._" Viciously he slapped him round the face. Jonah's eyes stung with tears but he knew far better than to show them. Unlike his father, he didn't enjoy pain. Unlike his father, he didn't want to inflict pain, either.

He was very unlike his father. But his mother, devoted and besotted, had raised him on tales and stories of his father, always saying "When you're old enough, you'll find him for me, won't you? Then we'll be a family. He's a good man, a real man. He understands how useless the human race is. This is who you need to be." For mother's day, when he was seven years old, he cut himself from ear-to-ear as a present for her. She had loved it.

Twelve years later his mother had kissed him goodbye as he went to search for his absent father. He found him in Arkham Asylum, and using the skills he had learnt from his mother, liberated the Joker and half the asylum's inmates. The Joker had been thrilled to find that he had a son- not for any sentimental reasons, of course, but because here was a brand-new plaything. Someone who had adored him for nineteen years without meeting him. Someone who wanted to be "just like him". Someone who would take the abuse and not bat an eyelid.

By now, Jonah was beginning to have clawing doubts in the back of his mind, but he pushed them away. He and his father would get rid of the Batman, his mother would eventually join them, and they'd be a happy family, just as Mom promised.

Wouldn't they?


	3. Fear Me, Dear

"Heads up, Little Miss." Bruce laughed. They had been locked in practice combat for at least half an hour, each armed with long wooden staffs. Finally Bruce's strength and stamina won over her agility. He swung his weapon and caught her legs out from underneath her. She fell to the floor, sharply hitting her head on the cold marble. She was dazed for a couple of seconds. "I win. Bruce one, Ruby zero."

"I hate 'choo." She slurred. He laughed and sat down beside her.

"Your birthday's coming up soon. What do you want?" He asked.

_You._

"I dunno." She sat up, swaying slightly.

"You okay? You hit your head pretty hard there." Bruce smiled, his delicate lips turning up mischievously.

"Whose fault is that? You don't have to be so rough. It's not as if I try and take your head off." Ruby said crossly. Alfred brought them both a glass of orange juice. They sat there like little kids, arguing good-naturedly while Alfred looked on, smiling to himself.

"Oh, you know why. The big bad world isn't soft, blah, blah, blah." Bruce grinned at her. "And I enjoy seeing you angry. It's funny."

"Sadist."

She gulped down her orange juice and left the small sparring room. Alfred followed her. On the way to her room they spoke about this and that, until finally Alfred stopped.

"I just want to tell you, don't hope that Master Wayne will someday finally open his eyes and realise that he loves you, sweep you off your feet and ask you to marry him." Alfred said quietly. Ruby kept silent, looking down, until she spoke in a hoarse whisper.

"How did you know?"

"I know, Miss Ruby, because the way you look at him is the way a young lady I used to know looked at a young man that I used to know." He murmured kindly. Ruby's eyes stung with tears. _Mum. Dad._ "I'm not saying that I don't wish that you two would be together." He laughed. "It would be much better for him. But don't waste yourself away." He hugged her briefly. "Keep your chin up too. God knows we need someone with a bit of bounce around here."

"Thanks Alfred." She smiled weakly. He was right. No matter what it took, she had to get over Bruce. How, she had no idea. Because if he kept smiling at her like he did the prospect of moving on did not look good.

*

"Oh, this is _disappointing."_ The Joker sighed. He had the records of nearly every CCTV camera around Gotham at his disposal in this room, and yet not one minute of footage could give him a decent lead to finding out who Robin really was. No matter. He could get to her without her secret identity... and get to Batman in the process. For however separate Batman and Robin tried to make themselves the connection was so clear the Joker could almost taste it. It was in the way her face had looked when he had come bursting in. It was in the way she had fought, protecting his back. It was in the way she had taken the pain he and his men had inflicted.

Take away the mask, and Robin was flesh and blood and youthful mind. Flesh was easily torn. Blood, so easily spilt. The corruption of minds, of course, was his speciality. "No pretty picture of your delicate little flower, Johnnie. Never mind. Thank you for your help." He said politely to the man sitting in the swivel chair, who gulped.

"Um, can I have the money now?" He said, sweating, his fat jowls wobbling anxiously as he spoke. "I mean, I'm takin' a big risk here." The Joker froze.

"Oh, you're right. Your money. Johnnie?" The tall boy handed over a sack, saying nothing. "Tie him up." The Joker said to his clowns. The man gasped as rough hands held him down and strapped him to his chair.

"Please!" He begged, beginning to cry. The Joker WAS just going to hurt him, but that display of weakness got his goat. Got it big time.

"Don't you want your money?" The Joker asked. The man whimpered. He came up close to the fat guy's face, stuck his hand in the sack and showed him the bills. "I'm not... _keen_ on it myself. But you're obviously a man who likes his money." The Joker wrapped his hand round the thick neck of his prey, squeezing just enough. The man opened his mouth wide, trying to gasp in more air. "Do you like the _smell_?" He brushed it under the man's nose. "The _feel?" _He stroked it against the man's cheek. "How about the _taste?"_

It took five forced handfuls of cash shoved down the man's throat to kill him. The Joker sang all the way. _"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down..."_

Jonah kept the vomit that threatened to surface firmly down his throat. He forced himself to stare at the bloated, suffocated body.

_This is who I am. Who I have to be. Mom. Father. I won't let you down._

*

Dogs barking. Sirens in the distance. Drunks shouting nearby.

All these sounds were blocked from the hunter's minds. They crouched, still as statues atop the building, watching a different kind of hunter.

The man was Frank Green. He was an old inmate of Arkham Asylum, with a taste for rape and murder. The young girl he stalked was drunk, easy, staggering meat. He followed her down an alleyway. He was twenty feet away. Fifteen. Five...

"Fetch." The low order was growled from the larger statue. The smaller gave a choked cackle of glee and leapt from the building. It swooped down on wings of blood-red and pounced upon the man. He gave a strangled yelp of surprise before being bound and gagged as quickly as a blink.

When Batman swooped down to join her Robin was spray painting her trademark R on the front of the man's filthy check shirt.

"Where's the girl?" He asked. Robin stopped. Looked around.

"Oh, SHIT. She was here just a minute ago!"

"You were too busy vandalising a human being to notice the victim of the crime you just prevented disappeared." Batman stated, his voice dangerously low.

"Looks bad, huh? She's drunk, she can't have got far." Robin said sheepishly.

"Oh, no. She hasn't gone _anywhere."_

"Oh, fucking hell." Robin growled, swivelling round to see the Joker holding the girl in a tight grip around the waist. She didn't seem to have any objection. She had probably fallen by now if it weren't for the freak holding her up. "You."

"Hey, Red." The Joker giggled. "Let's make a swap, _Batman." _He held a knife to the girl's throat, then pointed it at Robin. "I'll swap you your girl for mine."

Batman pounced. The Joker pushed the drunk girl out of the way and brandished his knife, cackling. Their fight took them further away from Robin, who had been taught to not interfere unless it got really serious.

Jonah, the Joker's supposed son, bent down and checked the drunken girl. She had passed out. He placed his hands on her.

"Not another move." Robin warned, holding back a throwing knife. Jonah shook his head at her.

"I'm putting her in the recovery position. She could choke." He said, his voice deep yet somehow soft. His blue eyes were genuine. Surely this wasn't the real spawn of the homicidal maniac who was trying to cut her best friend to ribbons just metres away.

"Well... alright." Robin said warily.

"Could you give me a hand? She's being a bit uncooperative." He smiled slightly. Despite the warped lines on each side of his mouth, that small smile lit his whole face up. Made her pulse beat just that little bit faster.

_Oh dear god. _Surely she wasn't going to decide to get over the love of her life and then fall for the scarred son of a crazy clown just hours later? No. She was not. _Shut up, brain!_

She knelt on one side of the girl and helped Jonah shift her into the right position.

"I'd better get her to hospital, actually." Robin dithered. Secure the safety of the girl or wait for Batman.

"Go. She might still be in trouble... I can't tell." Jonah said earnestly.

"What are you, a doctor?" Robin asked dismissively.

"I wish." He murmured, looking down. Robin reached over to pick the girl up. Her hand brushed over Jonah's. An electric current shot up her arm. Their eyes met.

"Take the girl and GO!" Batman yelled from where he fought off the Joker. Without a moment's hesitation she scooped the girl up and began to run. She passed the police cars that were on their way to the scene. She hastily handed the girl over and leapt away. She found herself hoping that, along with Batman, Jonah had managed to get away in time.

Soon she heard her mentor coming up behind her, and slowed to let him catch up. They leapt over the rooftops for a while before stopping to catch their breath. "They got away." Said Batman, his voice blank. "The son. You think we can use him?"

"No." Ruby said, a little too quickly. "I mean, the Joker doesn't give a damn. Jonah's just another pawn to him. If you ask me, he's as much a victim as anyone else." She added. Bruce gave her a funny look under the mask. She didn't meet his eyes.


	4. Your Precious Little Impulse

"36 accounts of assault. 23 accounts of grievous bodily harm. 12 accounts of criminal damage. 9 accounts of trespassing. 5 accounts of resisting arrest. 3 accounts of breaking and entering. 2 accounts of dangerous driving. 1 account of..." Ruby sighed. "Murder."

"Give me that." Snapped Bruce, tugging the printout from her hand and scrunching it up into a ball.

"All of them true except one, Bruce. Why don't you try and clear your name at all? Anyone with half a brain knows you never killed Harvey Dent."

"And how am I going to do that, Rubes? Besides, it's true." He sighed, hands gripping the wheel.

"No, it's not. Well, if you're a cop or a dickhead then in theory, yes, you killed that man. Way I see it, if a wrongdoing is with the best of intentions then that person is already innocent. The real criminals are the ones that misguide the innocents. Besides, it wasn't a wrongdoing. He was going to take a life, and he was hardly happy, was he? Nothing that happened was your fault."

"You sound like him sometimes. When he was up on his soapbox." Bruce smiled wearily.

"I should hope so too. He was a good man, Bruce. But the man who died that night wasn't Harvey Dent anymore." She gripped his arm for a second. He looked at her gratefully, relaxing.

"Besides. " He said. "We're not Batman and Robin tonight. We're Bruce Wayne..."

"And his sodding _waitress._" Ruby groaned. Bruce was holding a valentines masquerade ball, and she had been roped in to help at the bar and serving drinks. Conveniently she wouldn't have to show her face; although three weeks had passed since her little run-in with the Joker it was comforting to know that nobody would really see her tonight. Not so convenient was the fact that she was going to have to stand around all evening balancing champagne and being polite to posh nobs. "I hate being polite to posh nobs."

"Some would consider me a 'posh nob'." Bruce pointed out.

"Since when am I polite to you?"

"Good point."

" Why does Alfred get to stay at home?"

"Because Alfred is not a social retard."

"I am NOT a social retard!" She said loudly as they got out of the sleek black car.

"Sh. I'm supposed to be your boss, remember? No running off tonight. Be good."

They slipped on their masks, Bruce's silver and gold, hers matching the rest of the waiter's- plain black and white. She took her place, he took his, surrounded by fake friends while she watched on. She didn't mind. It was her job to be his quiet yet watchful shadow. Alright, so she wasn't that quiet. But god help the person who made one wrong move against Bruce Wayne. The Batman could take care of himself... Bruce, she worried about. Worried a lot. Worried but kept her mouth shut, as it should be. Because if she didn't worry she wouldn't have the initiative to keep him safe.

She ducked and weaved around guests laughing and talking, keeping her ear open for anything particularly juicy or funny that she and Bruce could laugh over on the way home.

"Simply genius ideas, that-"

"And then I said to him, I said-"

"Oh, they're simply adorable-"

Blah, blah, blah.

"Champagne, m'am? Champagne, sir?" She spoke in a monotone. _Kick in the teeth, young lady? Broken nose, fine sir?_

She had to get out of there, fast. Maybe Bruce was right, maybe she was a social retard, because the closer packed the areas were that she served the more she started to gasp for air. She felt dizzy and shaky. She fumbled the platter of champagne glasses once and knew that if her lightning reflexes were going, then she had to too. What was making it worse was seeing every busty, beautiful woman that Bruce had his arm round, or laughed with, or even smiled at. She knew the rich little playboy thing was an act… but damn him for being such a good actor.

She left the champagne and went out onto the balcony, passing a couple just coming away from the open doors. She breathed in the polluted yet fresh night air of Gotham, sighing slightly with relief. What the hell had happened? It had happened before, too, but not on that scale. What had happened there was close to a... "Bloody panic attack." She murmured.

"Yes, it was." Said an old man's voice behind her. A fairly short, squat man joined her at the rail. "You appear to have Agoraphobia, young lady."

"No, I don't. I just needed to get out of there." I said dismissively. Her rudeness must have disgruntled him, because he waddled away, huffing. She leant on the banister, letting the wind ruffle her hair. She slipped off the mask and smiled. The cold felt good.

Agoraphobia? She hoped not. She WAS a phobia, one that a lot of criminals shared.

Correction. Robin was. She was Ruby Banks. Maybe it was time she learnt to separate the two a little.

Besides, she loved people... when they were at their least irritating. Human life was something to be preserved, respected. The disgusting way that people like the Joker threw away life after life filled her with too much hate to be healthy. Not only that, but he had taken that Rachel girl... which had eventually lead to the fall of Gotham's hero-with-a-face, Harvey Dent, and had taken a piece off Bruce that showed, painfully. He had loved her. And what hurt the most is that he thought he was alone.

_You're never alone, Bruce._

Suddenly, as her eyes scanned the streets below, she heard yelling and screaming. She looked closer, narrowing her eyes. Rival gangs. With citizens mixed up. Oh, bloody hell.

Without bothering to find Bruce and let him know she slipped away from the party and into the secret chambers within Wayne Enterprises. She got kitted out in half a minute, and was out of there in two. Running in the shadows across the streets of Gotham, she felt _right _again. In her natural habitat.

Her natural habitat was going to become her room, and for the rest of her life, if Bruce caught her. But what the hell. Every second she wasted might have cost a human life.

She reached the fight. Rocks, gunshot and punches flew everywhere. She couldn't take them down at once; she had to use something a bit... bigger. From a small capsule sewn to the inside of her sleeve she tapped out three little silver balls.

Time to give the riot a bit of a shake- up.

Three small explosions sent people scattering from the middle of the fight. Robin managed to shove a couple of bystanders in the right direction- away. Three more silver balls created a smoke cloud that finally broke up the fight. The little bad-asses ran away, crying for their mothers.

_As they should._

Suddenly, cars came screeching onto the scene, sirens wailing. _Always late._

Robin bounded away over the rooftops, but soon became horribly aware that she was being followed by a helicopter. _Shit, shit, shit…_

She pushed herself harder and harder to get out of that searchlight, away from that horrendous noise. As she leaped and ran and slipped and stumbled she went over all the things they were chasing her for. _Assault, GBH, assisting a wanted criminal, vandalism..._

Suddenly, she was back in the dark. They had lost her! Almost laughing out loud she swerved to the left and jumped onto the roof of an ancient warehouse.

_Mistake!!! _Her brain screamed at her as her foot, leg, whole body smashed through the worn roof and she fell into the darkness.

*

She thought she was still falling, because she couldn't feel anything around her. But gradually, she felt. Felt the cold stone floor, felt something soft propping her head up. Felt a tightness, high up her forehead.

When she opened her eyes, she was alarmed, but far too groggy to react. Jonah worked on something on her forehead, his tongue sticking out of his scarred mouth in an almost endearing expression of concentration. She realised then that her mask was gone.

"It's ok." He said without really looking at her. "You're safe. It's just me. And the stitches are done." He added. _Stitches?_

She bolted upright and ran a hand along the top of her forehead. He guided her hand and she found a neat little row of stitches. "If you're lucky it won't even scar that much. I took the liberty of giving you some painkillers..." She ignored him and looked around. Old boxes and machinery. A bit of blood. Some basic medical equipment. _He wasn't kidding that night when he said he wanted to be a doctor._ She slipped her mask back on.

"Um... Jonah. Thanks for fixing me up and everything... but, you know..." She trailed off. He nodded, sighing.

"Yeah, I know. I'm the bad guy, you are the ass-kicking super hot crime fighter." He smiled weakly. "Do your worst."

She tackled him to the ground in one smooth move and straddled him. It definitely did not feel like downing a criminal. There was an awkward silence. "Urm... What now?" He asked, his almost electric blue eyes laughing.

"I don't rightly know. Stop laughing, this is serious." She scolded him. Slowly, the hands that pinned his wrists down were taken in his, the fingers interlocking.

"Please don't hurt me too much for this." He said softly. Before she could register the movement he had sat up, brought his mouth to hers and kissed her.

_She tastes like bubblegum. Mmmm... _

_Oh god, what am I doing _now?_ What's _he _doing? Whoa... nice technique..._

_I can't believe I'm kissing Batman's sidekick._

_I can't believe I'm kissing the Joker's devil spawn._

_She's going to punch me._

_I'm going to whack him one._

_Father's going to skin me alive._

_Bruce is going to kill me._

_WHY DON'T I CARE?_

Finally they jumped apart.

"What the HELL was that, you rapist?" Robin yelled.

"Don't deny that you were kissing me back." He grinned widely, looking not unlike the Cheshire Cat.

"I'm not."

"Good. Because you were." He said smugly. "Wanna do it again?"

"Well, Jonah, I'd love to stay here with you and damn my soul further, but I have people looking for me. Ciao." Her face burning behind the mask, she turned to go.

"Wait-" He began, but she had gone.

"See you around." Came a whisper from nowhere.

*

"You are so DEAD, young lady." Bruce growled, following her to the door of her room.

"Apparently I'm not. Don't talk to me like that, please. It's childish and disrespectful." She replied calmly. _Since when do I not shout and yell when I'm being scolded?_

"Well, what do you call running off when I _expressly _told you not to?"

"I was doing my job, by the way." She put her hand on one hip and gave him a pitying look. "Bruce, it's 1 o'clock AM. Shout at me tomorrow." She turned to go back into her room.

"Who stitched you up?" Bruce demanded.

"I did." _Since when can I successfully lie to him?_ Bruce nodded warily. He caught her by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. She felt her knees weaken.

"I worry. I'm sorry. For god's sake, please stop running off. Please." Any other night she would have hugged him, and promised through her teeth not to do it again.

Well, not tonight.

"You were the one who said we should be separate too. It's hardly going to be helpful if the whole world thinks we're best buddies. Stop treating me like a spoilt child." She said. _Since when do I smart-mouth him when he's being nice? _"Goodnight, Bruce."

She shut the door and rested her back against it, grinning even though she felt like the biggest bitch in the world.

_Since when do I fall in love with the son of a psychopath? _

_Since now._


	5. Counting The Lies

The darkness was absolute. It consumed everything, entered her pores, her eyes, her ears, and filled her with fear so sharp she was sure that whatever was waiting for her out there in the dark could smell it.

"Ruuuuuby. Little Ruby Baaaaanks."

The Joker's voice, mocking and nasal. She couldn't place it, he was everywhere.

"Where are you?" She moaned.

"Right here." Jonah's voice came from behind her. She whirled around. He was strangely illuminated, clear in the dark.

His face was smothered in white, black and red makeup. His beautiful blue eyes were replaced with the black orbs of the Joker. She stepped back. "What's wrong?" He asked, coming forward. "Don't you know I've always wanted to be just. Like. My DAD?"

Suddenly Jonah and the air around her burst into flames. In her little circle, fire leaping all around her, blood was suddenly visible on the floor. A great, dark red pool. Lying in the middle was a thin, delicate body, long red hair and white dress fanned out like butterfly wings. Her green eyes were wide open, unseeing.

The cuts, so deeply sliced into her wrists, kept on bleeding. Pumping out handfuls of blood. The red pool crept closer.

Closer.

Ever, ever closer.

"Ruby?"

A hand gripped hers.

*

"MUM!" Screamed Ruby, sitting up bolt upright. Her chest heaved and tears stung her cheeks.

"Just me." It was dark, like the nightmare, but she could see Bruce's outline sitting at the end of her bed. His hand was tight on hers still. Her eyes adjusted to the dark; his face wore a mixture of sorrow and pity. She scrunched up into a ball, her arms hugging her knees. One hand traced the tattoo on her side that was hidden by the skimpy vest top she wore, like a child stroking a comfort blanket. It was a white dove.

She remembered, back when she was nine, the day her mother's birthday came round. Ruby had saved enough money to buy her mother a pair of white doves- and from that day on, her mother became fixated with caring for and raising the birds. Many where added to the collection.

Then, from the first night of many nightmarish drunken rages, her mother withdrew... and Ruby was left to take care of the birds. The day after she had come home to see her father sobbing over her mother's broken body she had run outside and set every bird free.

The tattoo reminded her that, although Mum was gone, wherever she was had to be better than under the tyrannical rule of her father, with his fists and his shouting...

A voice broke her thoughts. "Ruby..."

"I'm fine."

"Liar." Bruce pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her slightly. It was then that Ruby's barriers that had held a river's worth of pain suddenly and violently shattered.

It was a whole hour before Ruby could speak again. Her voice was hoarse.

"Wh-what time is it?" She croaked.

"Four AM." He gently broke away and wrapped her up in the large duvet. She leant her head against his chest again. "Happy twentieth birthday, Rubes."

"Oh. I'm old." She moaned. He laughed softly.

"Yes, Ruby. Twenty is ancient I'm sure. You're also tired. Get some sleep. No training tomorrow, and... I'll let you drive the Porsche."

She shook her head.

"Ferrari or nothing." She looked up at him and grinned.

"Oh, alright." He kissed the top of her head and settled her down. "'Night, birthday girl."

She turned on her side as he left the room, hugging Kermit the Frog to her chest and smiling weakly as she slipped off to sleep.

_Good god. I love that man._ She thought, as the sky began to lighten.

*

_Happy Birthday, Jonah Quinzell._

Jonah congratulated himself and opened his eyes. His small, ridiculously messy room in an abandoned warehouse greeted him in all its glory. Not necessarily a lie, if you could call that shabby-shithole look glorious. Jonah definitely did not. But then he was holding out for a perfect family home, sat on top of the ruins of soon-to-be-Father's Gotham.

The door slammed open and he yelped with surprise.

"Well, uh, Happy _Birth_day, son." Grinned the Joker. "Now, what would a_ strapping_ young lad want for his special day, huh?" He came closer. "Maybe a nice little _girlfriend?"_

To anyone who did not know the Joker, that was innocent enough. But Jonah's eyes widened as he stared at his father.

_He knows. He knows. Oh my god he knows._

The Joker cackled. "Oh, Johnnie, my little open book." He came ever closer. "Now, the predictable thing to do here would be for me to hang you with the _tongue _you kissed her with_." _He said, conversationally enough. "But could I ever be called _predictable, _Johnnie?" He half-whispered, grabbing a handful of Jonah's soft hair. Jonah shook his head wildly. "But, ah, _you, _on the other hand. You are more _predictable _than the plot of a Scooby-Doo cartoon." The Joker laughed uproariously at his own joke for about thirty seconds before trying to carry on. "And therefore... Heeheehee... Um... you can do something _useful. _See I knew from the moment you saw her. Looker, ain't she? Though not very gifted in the _chest _department, but y'know, you're pretty skinny yourself, maybe you _like _that." He adjusted the grip on Jonah's hair. "So, um, I'm sure it's _obvious _that I want you to carry on playing your little Romeo/Juliet game... But I want both her and Batman to be the prize at the end. _My _prize."

Jonah's eyes widened. "Oh, it's okay, _Johnnie. _Just have your way with this girl 'till she spills the beans. I'm _sure _that won't be too difficult, you, uh, being such a _handsome _kid and all." He moved even closer to whisper in Jonah's ear. "Do this little _thing _for me, and when you're mommy comes a-lookin' for you, I'll do the honourable thing I should have done _twenty years _ago. I'll marry her, and it'll be all happy families... Even your little _birdie _can join in if she doesn't mind the whole betrayal thing. Everything'll be just. The way. You want it."

"Promise?" Jonah's voice wavered, his blue eyes so wide, so trusting. Just like _she _had looked at him, all those years ago. The Joker cackled and crossed his fingers secretively.

"I _promise." _

Oh, how he loved to _fuck _people about.

*

"La, la, la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ruby sang along with the loud music blasting from the stereo as she drifted the Ferrari effortlessly round a corner in the country road. She threw back her head and laughed loudly at Bruce hanging on for dear life beside her, his eyes wide and terrified.

"At least put your seatbelt on!" He cried.

"Nah." She grinned as they screeched to a halt in front of the mansion in a shower of gravel. "Cheers, Bruce. That was _amazing."_

"And... how was that, for you, sir?" Said Alfred, approaching the car and trying very hard not to laugh.

"Terrifying. Because I was riding shotgun to a _terrorist._" He shook his head at Ruby. "Why the speed?"

She bounded up the steps, making the bracelet Bruce had given her that afternoon tinkle delicately. The charms- a robin, a dove and a blackbird- swung on the thin silver chain.

"I dunno. Force of habit."

"Force of what habit, Ruby?"

"The habit of not getting caught when you've done something for someone to want to chase you. Mmmm, hungry. Sandwich time."

She bounced away in search of food. Alfred and Bruce stopped and gave each other a look of mutual exasperation.

"Just be thankful she's on our side, Master Wayne." Alfred pointed out. Bruce shook his head.

"I don't think she's on anyone's side but her own, Alfred. She's even more of a free spirit than Rachel used to be."

"If you ask me, sir, I think next time you should choose an apprentice with a little less bite and a lot less bark." Alfred smiled, not really meaning it. Bruce laughed quietly.

"What'd be the fun in that?"

*

"Are you okay?" Batman murmured out of the side of his mouth. Robin nodded curtly, but her shoulders were almost up round her ears and her fists were clenched tightly, shaking. They had just half an hour ago uncovered a group of men who were bringing in an underhand deal from the harbour. Today it wasn't drugs or firearms.

Today, it was twelve-year-old girls.

Now, the two watched, safely out of sight, as the bound and spray-painted men were shoved roughly into police cars and the girls were gently coaxed from the large container and into the ambulances. Some could barely walk from being sat for so long. Suddenly Commissioner Gordon shouted out from inside the reeking container.

"One of them isn't moving!"

"I... Oh, god." Robin swallowed heavily and slipped away from the edge or the building they were perched on. She sat cross-legged, holding her head in her hands for five seconds before getting quickly to her feet, eyes blazing behind the mask. "We should have torn those monsters apart."

"You know as well as I do that would have made us monsters in turn." Batman replied, quick as ever.

"And so, we should let them get away with it just to keep our hands clean." She snarled, fists balling till the knuckles turned white beneath the black gloves. "They'll go to jail, get released far too early and I'll be damn surprised if they'll have learnt anything by then."

"If you would stop, calm down and _think, _you'd remember why you usually agree with me on this." Batman pointed out.

"Alright, alright!" Robin hissed. "I know. I know. I'm sorry. It's just... ARGH. C'mon, let's find someone else to duff up. What's going on with the coppers?"

"You are so British." Batman murmured, fiddling with the radio hidden by one ear. Robin mentally kicked herself- she was supposed to keep up a Boston accent but it kept slipping.

Why Boston? Just for the laugh. She was like that- impulsive, hyperactive, often emotional. _A ticking time bomb,_ Bruce tried not to think.

Besides, with him to watch over her, what was the worst that could happen?

Suddenly voices came in over the radio, panicked and loud.

"_We have a situation at St Hope's nursing home. The Joker appears to be holding several elderly civilians at ransom, parts of the building are on fire. This has priority, I repeat-"_

Robin had heard over her earpiece, too. She clenched her teeth.

"Is it him, or another copycat?" She asked.

"Only one way to find out." Batman said, bounding away with Robin at his heels.


	6. How Sweet This Could Be

"You _bastard."_ Robin half-gasped, half snarled.

The large living room was filled with smoke from nearby flames. A ring of six elderly men and women sat gagged, bound and blindfolded, with the Joker in the middle, evidently enjoying himself. One of them was dead, a pool of blood around him.

_Don't look at it, Ruby, don't..._

"Now, that's not a way to greet a friend, is it?"

After a night of atrocities, Robin finally snapped. Shooting out of the reach of Batman she leapt over the whimpering hostages and slammed into the clown, sending them both crashing to the floor. His flick knife was knocked out of his hand in seconds. He started to laugh but Robin's hands closed around his throat. The grin stayed on his face even as it went blue...

"Let go of him, Robin."

_Just give me two minutes, and I'll let go of his __corpse__..._

She was suddenly plucked off the Joker as easily as a dog scratches a flea. Kicking and screaming she was tugged from her prey, who sat up, howling with laughter.

"Why'd ya stop her, Batman, eh? She was having _fun..._ Well, if you just came here to _chit-chat, _I, uh, well. I'll be off." He grabbed a nearby hostage and held a knife to her throat. Batman and Robin froze.

"Let her go!" Batman growled. The Joker held up his free hand.

"Uh, one second please." He pulled out a small remote from his back pocket and pressed the button. Nothing happened. The Joker pressed it again, more impatiently this time, and the wall behind him exploded in a shower of rubble. Robin was thrown to the ground, clutching at a long cut in her arm. The Joker pushed the old lady aside and bounded through the hole, laughing.

"Go after him, I'll deal with the hostages." Robin said over the noise of parts of the large house collapsing as the fire crept closer. Batman nodded and sprinted after where the Joker had gone.

Robin pulled away the furniture that had been piled against the window and smashed through the glass. Family of the hostages, police and bystanders looked up and cheered. She ran back and began freeing the hostages, all the while trying to keep them calm.

Soon, Commissioner Gordon appeared at the window, standing on an elevated platform with a fireman beside him. They began to take the hostages from her.

"Crazy night." She commented to Gordon, keeping her voice in her faux accent for once. He nodded.

"Where's your boss?" He asked. Robin's brow crinkled under the mask at his choice of words but she let it slide.

"Chasing the clown." She handed over the last trembling old dear. "That's the last of 'em. One we didn't get to in time. Must have tried to fight back..."She swallowed. Gordon straightened himself up and took a deep breath.

"Robin, I'm going to have to place you under arr-"She stopped him with a single finger on his lips.

"Now, now, Gordy. Don't make threats you can't carry out. And- OH MY GOD! WHAT IS _THAT?" _She yelled, pointing past the fireman and Gordon. They looked for two seconds and whipped back, but she was gone.

"Well, damn." Gordon said, but smiled for the first time that night.

*

Robin sat atop Gotham Elementary School, one hand to her ear. She whispered. Nothing. She tried again, and again.

"Batty. Batty. OI. ANSWER ME YOU-"

"_What?" _Batman hissed over the earpiece.

"Where the hell are you?"

"I'm on his trail, I've nearly got him." He replied.

"Where are you? I'll-"

"No. Go home."

"But-"

"Take your bike and _go home."_

"Piss off!" She snarled, breaking off the link. "God's _sake!" _She stood up and kicked a small stone over the edge before sitting down again heavily.

"Nice night for a tantrum." Came a familiar voice behind her, laced with amusement. Jonah.

She whipped round. He stood behind her, a green and black Arab scarf wrapped round his mouth and nose. He pulled it down and smiled. Her heart fluttered.

"What are you doing skulking about?" She hissed.

"Skulking? _Skulking? _I'm not skulking. You're the one in the mask." He smiled, sitting beside her.

"Go away, Jonah."

"No." He grinned.

"You suck."

"You smell." He retorted, coming to sit down beside her.

"No... _funny business._" She warned him. He grinned wider.

"Of course not. Hey, you're bleeding." He said, looking at her arm.

"Just a scratch."

"My _ass." _He scolded. "Let me see." He unzipped the blue bag strapped round his waist, bringing out bandages and antiseptic wipes. He inspected the wound.

"What do you think, doc?" Robin quipped.

"You'll live. It's worse than it looks." He murmured, cradling her arm gently.

"Told you. It tore away my tracking chip too." She smiled slightly. "Not that I'm bothered."

Jonah started picking out the bits of grit, cleaning the wound. Robin took a deep breath. "See, Jonah, I'm- OW. I'm curious to know why a psychopath's son carries a first aid kit around as he sneaks around the streets of a hell hole like Gotham."

He froze in the middle of bandaging the wound, and then relaxed.

"Well, you do manage to get knocked around a fair bit every night I see you."

"I don't think the walking hospital is for my benefit." She cupped his chin, gently forcing him to look at her. "What are you up to, eh? What do you do at night when you're not hiding behind your dad's skirts?"

Too far. He pinned the bandage in place roughly and stood up, turning to go. She tried to leap up but forgot about the cut. Pain flared up her arm and she stumbled. Jonah whipped round and steadied her. Putting his mouth to her ear he whispered gently, hands on her hips.

"No questions. Just me. Can you accept me as just Jonah? Not who my father is?" He asked, his green eyes sombre. She nodded slightly. There was a short silence, until both of them brightened.

"It's my birthday today." They both said happily. They stared at each other, then spent at least five minutes almost wetting themselves with laughter. They collapsed on the roof, still giggling. Jonah rested his head on her stomach. "Happy Birthday." They both said in unison, which set them off again. Jonah sat up, giggling, and shuffled round to face her. Their eyes met and the laughter died away. The air suddenly seemed charged, like before a lightning storm. Robin sat up too, edging closer. She took his face in her hand, gently running fingers over the twisted scars. He placed his hands on her back and pulled her to him.

*

"Where the hell have you been?" Batman growled. He stood propped against the wall next to where two sleek bikes were resting.

"Around."

"It's three o'clock in the _morning..."_

"Oh. Well, sorry I kept you waiting." Robin slid her hand down the sensor pad hidden behind a stack of trash cans and stepped back as a small door that slowly swung open. Ducking inside she quickly changed into the jeans and riding jacket that were kept there, stuffing her black-and-red suit into a rucksack. She re-emerged, mask-free but carrying a red motorcycle helmet. Her short hair stuck up at all angles. "Your turn, stud." She said, motioning to the opening. He sighed and did as she had, except he reappeared with a helmet of deepest black. Their bikes matched their helmets, and their moods. While Bruce was still furious at having lost the Joker for the umpteenth time, and then had been left to worry and fret about Ruby for two hours, Ruby was full of excitement. It boiled in her blood, rushing through her veins. She didn't know how long she could keep it in.

The two straddled their bikes and roared off homeward. Behind the helmet's visor Ruby face was radiant as she thought about Jonah. She had never, in all her life, been kissed like he kissed her. They talked about so much that night. It wasn't just attraction between them... both were mutually fascinated with the other.

The failed doctor and the failed criminal psychologist. The son of a killer and the sidekick of a vigilante. The fiery redhead and the quiet blonde.

They fit so well together.

And yet, a shadow of doubt was looming over her like a cloud. Of course, she couldn't forget who his father was. It would be stupid to even if she could, what with the constant reminder stretching a permanent smile on Jonah's face.

Could someone kiss someone like that, then stab them in the back? Her experience of love was limited. She didn't rightly know.

She felt Bruce's eyes burn into her back as she skipped a red light, laughing.

She just needed to be careful. That's all. She wasn't an idiot. Sure, it was a tricky situation.

_But if anyone can handle it, I can._

*

As Jonah walked closer and closer to his father's current "hideout", his amazingly good mood slowly lifted from him, leaving darkness and doubt behind. He thanked whoever was listening that nobody was in. By the time he was up in his crappy room, all he could do was collapse on the floor and breathe deeply enough to keep the guilt and pain under where it belonged. He sat propped against his bed, head down and a hand tugging at his blonde hair.

Try as he might, he could not picture handing over his Robin to the Joker.

_My Robin? Since when is she mine?_

Could he picture her as anyone else's Robin?

His fists clenched. _No fucking way._ _She is mine. It doesn't matter that the first girl I come across that can see past the scars is a crime fighter pitted against my own father. I love her._

He was often unsure of his father, and nearly always unsure of himself. But one thing was for certain- he would do his job, but he would not, repeat, not, lose Robin.

She was everything now.


	7. I'll Save You From Yourself

It had never before occurred to Ruby Banks that she would one day wish to be "normal". Unfortunately, over the next few days she most certainly began to. If she was "normal", then she wouldn't spend most of her day-to-day life covered in bruises, or receiving bruises. If she was "normal", then she wouldn't have to break nearly every rule set for her to see the person she thought about every waking moment.

If she was "normal" then maybe she would be happy.

She used to be happy with what she had. But now every moment away from Jonah had become lacklustre somewhat, even boring. Everything she did, she would rather be with him. The swooping feeling she had once had whenever Bruce smiled at her had been replaced by a dull tingle in the pit of her stomach, nothing more. Neither he nor Alfred could engage her in anything unless they were lucky.

Bruce put it down to her becoming more independent. Alfred, however, knew something was up.

The knock on the door was clearly Alfred. It was short and sharp, whereas Bruce was a little more wary when entering her "lair". It was Ruby's inner sanctum, and she did not take kindly to intruders very often.

"Yeah?" Came the muffled voice from within. Alfred swung the door open. The familiar blue room was always neat and tidy. Birds were everywhere- bird art, bird plush toys, bird books- you name it. Ruby had a slight obsession with birds. To her, they were a symbol of the freedom she craved for everyone; it was why she hated seeing Gotham trapped in its little bubble of fear. Recently, however, she seemed to be less and less concerned about the city, or indeed, its people. That was the way Alfred saw it anyway.

He found her upside-down off the end of her bed, frantically tapping a game control. Her red hair swung slightly as she fought her electronic battle. On the screen Mario fought his way through the level, accompanied by beeps and whistles. It was old-style Nintendo- Ruby argued that the latest stuff wasn't a patch on the originals. "Wassup." Ruby asked, tapping away.

"I was hoping that you could tell me, young Ruby." Alfred said tightly. Ruby paused her game but did not right herself.

"Go on." She said coldly. Alfred took a deep breath.

"Long story short, you've been acting strangely. You don't seem to want to be around us anymore."

"By 'us', I suppose you mean you and Bruce?" She asked harshly.

"Yes, I do. Master Wayne might be bewildered by it but I know exactly what's going on." Alfred snapped. In one smooth movement Ruby flipped herself upright again. She glared at him, green eyes flashing.

"I don't think you do." She dismissed him.

"Who is he, Ruby?" Alfred asked.

Ruby froze. _Shit._

"How... how..."

"I know because you are doing exactly the same thing your mother did when she became infatuated with your father. Her parents were very dear friends of mine, and your mother abandoned them almost completely as soon as your father returned her affections. That is why she was so completely alone when he turned. You never met them. She wasn't even at their funeral."

"Shut it." Ruby snarled.

"It has to be said. Master Wayne and I are the only family you have left. You would do well to remember that when you are in need, we will always be there because you are our priority. Are you the priority of whoever it is you sneak off to see when you should be defending people's lives?"

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but a flicker of doubt danced in her eyes. Alfred nodded triumphantly. His face softened when he saw her curl in on herself, eyes going blank. "I just need you to remember that we also have no one else, young Ruby. You're all the family we have, too. You have a duty to Gotham, and a duty to Master Wayne. Don't forget it."

*

When Ruby thought it through, her relationship with Jonah was weird and slightly twisted. She ached to kill his father, yet doing so would bring his whole fragile world toppling down on him. Any conversation about Batman or the Joker drove a wedge between them, so it was an avoided subject. But tonight, she wanted answers.

After wandering off on her own "patrol", she had quickly found Jonah at their usual meeting place atop the elementary school. He was kicking a flat basketball around. When she arrived he looked up and beamed, but soon his face dropped as she came towards him. He sensed something was wrong.

"Hey." He said, hugging her. She didn't return it, and he stepped away quickly.

"Mmm." She murmured distractedly. "I'm not staying long. I do have a job to do, ya know." Jonah's eyes dulled, hurt. Robin instantly felt guilty. She wrapped her arms around his chest and gave him a rib-shattering hug. "Nothing personal, Johnnie. I'm sorry. I've been proper stressed today."

"It's okay." He murmured, wondering to himself at how much he hated the nickname when his father said it, but on her lips it sounded sweet. She was about to kiss him when a huge fireball erupted into the sky about a mile away.

"Bloody NORAH!" She yelled. "What in the name of _god _was that?" She broke away from Jonah to go and investigate, but he grabbed her hand, looking nervous.

"Your guy's probably got it, don't worry..."

"No, I know for definite he's down by the docks tonight. I'll be surprised if he even heard that."

He gripped harder.

"Then let me come with you."

"Are you insane? What if it's your father?" She asked incredulously. She saw something in his eyes. "Jonah. Tell me what's going on, NOW."

*

The explosion had been a gas station. A handful of people were panicking and the fire service was concentrating on putting the fire out, but nobody was harmed.

Watching the ruckus were two individuals, unseen by the panic-stricken crowd. One wore a suit of bright purple, the other a hideous mask like a scarecrow. They stood with three masked clowns who stood obediently to attention. Despite their unusual appearance they went unnoticed, happily watching the anarchy take place.

Unknown to them, they too were being watched.

"A little gift, from one lover of anarchy to another, Joker." The Scarecrow murmured.

_Jonathan Crane. Three accounts of murder, four accounts of terrorism, fifteen accounts of criminal damage..."_

The Joker cackled, holding his stomach and hopping around slightly.

"It's..." He threw his arms out wide. He was silhouetted against the raging reds and oranges as the fire flared again, causing the firemen to shy back, their arms thrown over the faces. "…_Beau_-tiful." He turned to his companion. "Alright, Scarey-_crow. _Whatever your _request _might be, I'll listen, and see what I can do."

"I... want your son."

Next to her, Robin felt Jonah tense.

"My... my _son?"_ The Joker was surprised, for once.

"Yes. I have a theory that your son could have the potential for great things, Joker. I could help him fulfil that potential."

"And you think I can't?"

"The boy feels a certain affection for you, I sensed that when I met him. Without that connection..." He shrugged. "Perhaps genius runs in the family."

"G-genius?" The Joker cackled, hopping about some more. "Why, Jonathan. I'm _flattered! _Usually it's_ madness. Cruelty." _

"Fucking pair of fruitcakes." Robin cursed. Jonah clenched his fists. "What?" Robin hissed at him, but carried on eavesdropping.

"But... No." The Joker said, drooping to show mock sorrow. Crane turned to him.

"No?"

"No. See, I have my own little plans for Junior. Sorryyyyy." He licked his lips. "I, uh, hope this won't come between us in our little _union, _Jonatha-"

"It's _Scarecrow. _And, no. We can both benefit from a double act."

"I've seen enough." Robin made to jump from the roof of the small storage shed they were perched on, but Jonah grabbed her.

"No!" He hissed.

"This is the _wrong _time to defend your psycho daddy, Jonah!" She snarled, grabbing his face and pushing him to the side. She cursed as the Joker and his lackeys stole a fire truck and made good their escape. Scarecrow turned from the burning gas station and began to walk away. Robin pounced.

She leapt forth, her cape unfurling behind her, and landed in a crouch beside Scarecrow.

As if he had been waiting for her, Scarecrow whipped round and, from one of the many canisters at his belt, sprayed her in the face with the toxin that had once threatened to plunge Gotham city into madness.

Ruby fell, howling, to the ground. Scarecrow loomed over her. In her mind's eye, he was multiplied a thousand times. Each Scarecrow moved in closer, crowding in, closing in. She couldn't see past them, there were so many, she couldn't breathe...

The thousand Scarecrows knelt down beside her.

"Well, well, Jonah. We HAVE been a naughty boy." All the Scarecrows echoed. Jonah appeared behind them.

"Leave her, Crow!"

"Now, what would a fine young man like you want to hang around with scum like Robin, eh? And did you say 'her'?"

"Crow!" Jonah snarled as the masked ex-doctor tore away Robin's mask.

"Well, she's certainly a looker." He cackled, leering over Robin's terrified face. "Why don't I just go tell your daddy you've been..." Suddenly Scarecrow cried out and fell to the floor. Jonah had kicked him hard in the head with a heavy DM shoe and grabbed hold of the front of his suit, knocking his head against the concrete for good measure. The older man tried to reach for the cans at his belt but his hands were pinned.

"Listen here. I'm not the weakling you or my father think I am." Jonah hissed. He produced a flick knife and tore off Scarecrow's mask, while Robin watched. If she hadn't been under the influence of his terrible drug, she might have found the man beautiful. His soft black hair fell in front of his icy blue eyes. They were wide with fear as they saw Jonah was not playing around with threats. The knife, carefully sharpened, grazed a line down Jonathan Crane's cheek. "I don't enjoy killing. But I will if I have to; I've done it before and I'll do it again. With you it will not require a second thought. Turn and leave, Crane, or I swear I will slice you up without shedding a tear."

Crane scrambled away, watched by Robin who had begun to shake uncontrollably. Jonah knew she was slowly losing her mind, her sense unravelling. Slipping the red mask back on her he scooped her up in his arms. He had to find Batman, fast.

"Bruce? I want Bruce." Robin croaked.

"Who?" Jonah asked, bewildered. He looked back. Someone was coming towards them, shouting, so he broke out into a run. He ran three blocks, hiding in shadowed places, before a thought struck him.

Surely, _surely _she didn't mean _Bruce Wayne?_

_It makes sense. Gotham's favourite charity boy... with access to high technology from Wayne industries... _He remembered the suave face of Wayne from the newspapers, handsome yet somehow superior and detached. He remembered the reverent way Robin had spoke of Batman on those rare occasions they did speak of him. Jonah felt a sharp pang of jealousy, then a shock of realisation.

He'd done it. He knew who Batman really was.

No time to think of that now. Robin was his priority. He needed to get her to safety, back to Batman. His heart beating fast he ran on, the shaking girl cradled gently in his arms.


	8. Like Roses, We Blossom, Then Die

Jonah was finding it very hard to keep his cool. The girl he loved was slowly deteriorating in his arms and whether she would be driven insane or not depended on him finding the most elusive man in Gotham. He gnawed at his lip behind the scarf that covered his mouth and nose, trying to keep Robin warm and awake at the same time.

"Robin, look at me. C'mon sweetheart." Her green eyes were unfocused and terrified. The wind whipped around them as they knelt atop the unfinished office block. "This is _stupid!" _Jonah groaned, scanning the city. "How hard to find can a man in a bat costume be?"

He needed a signal. But the Batlight had been destroyed. What to do? What to do what to do what to do...

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a large lamp lying on one side, connected up to a generator. It was accompanied there by several bits and pieces of metal. It was a stupid idea, but stupid ideas did work from time to time...

Leaving Robin with his scrubby jacket thrown over her, he ran to the pile of junk and began sifting through to find something useful, his brilliant mind working as fast as was humanely possible.

The makeshift batlight soon flashed and flared into life. Jonah sat and waited, gently whispering to Robin to keep her awake. Suddenly the generator began to die, making the light fade and eventually go out.

"_Shit!" _He moaned, running over and kicking the generator. "C'mon, _c'mon..."_

A hand landed on his shoulder. He whipped round, eyes wide. It was him.

"What happened?" Batman demanded, running over to the girl.

"Scarecrow's toxin."

"How long has she been like this?"

"An hour, give or take ten minutes. You're a hard man to find." Batman scooped Robin up in his arms, slowly murmuring to her like someone would a child. Jonah watched, his eyes pained. Batman caught his gaze.

"Why would you help her?" He asked, glaring at Jonah. "What's in it for you?" Jonah squared his shoulders.

"Nothing. Only that she would live. I promise. I..." He moved forward, pulling his scarf down to plant a kiss on Robin's feverish forehead. "I love her. But," He said, eyebrows furrowing, "She deserves protection. Protection that I can't give her. She deserves better than a coward. She deserves better than who I am."

"And who are you?" Batman demanded. The boy pulled his scarf down completely, revealing his scars.

"I am Jonah Quinzell." He turned away. "So long, Mister Wayne." With his head down he began to run towards the door that would lead him into the building, and eventually escape.

Bruce's spine went cold. He was going to run after the boy, but Robin was his priority… who was going to have a _lot _of explaining to do once she was up and about again.

*

Jonah slammed the large metal door behind him. The Joker ran up and knocked him over.

"Hey, guys, _Junior's home!" _He crowed to his lackeys. Pulling Jonah up roughly he inspected his face. "What's up, Johnnie, you look, uh... different." His eyes widened. "You... have you got it? Do you know?"

Jonah nodded once, eyes cast down. The Joker made a noise of insane glee that rang through the abandoned warehouse like a cockerel's crow.

*

With the antidote delivered and Ruby tucked safely in bed, Bruce was heading back out of the door. Alfred followed him out.

"Where are you going _now? _The sun'll be up soon."

"I need to find the boy. He's a danger to me, and I have a feeling that if he doesn't endanger me..." He slipped on his mask. "He's going to be in danger himself."

*

"What the- sir!" Jones, Commissioner Gordon's right-hand man, yelled from across the office. "We've been sent a video... it's being streamed live!"

Gordon shot across the crowded office and stared at the computer screen. The Joker's face appeared.

"Today is the day, ladies and gentlemen. The day that Batman becomes nothing more than another worthless lump of _flesh and blood. _The day you discover how very breakable a hero can suddenly become. But enough about that." The camera turned to a young man sitting at a desk, a mock newsreader board behind him. _Batman revealed _read across it in large red writing. The boy was introduced as "My own little boy, Johnnie!" The camera shook with the Joker's laughter. The boy looked up, shadows circling his eyes and his mouth downturned despite the mock grin that stood out on his face as if it had been painted. "Tell 'em Johnnie. Tell them who Batman _really _is." The camera turned back to the Joker. "Even I don't know yet... Isn't this _exciting, _Gotham? Ahem. Anyway..." Back to the boy. "Carry on."

Jonah took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, looked straight at the camera, and uttered one word.

"No."

Silence.

"What." The Joker growled.

"No."

The camera turned back to the Joker for the last time.

"Excuse me, but we are experiencing technical difficulties. Bear with us while we take a_ break. _You can see more of your favourite reporter where Gotham's own Harvey Dent took his little... trip._"_

The screen went black to the sound of the Joker's cruel laughter.

*

The Batman hated returning to this place. Dawn cast shadows around the ruins of where both Rachel and Harvey had died. After receiving a tip-off from Gordon he had come here, expecting to find bloody remains, but so far... nothing.

Then, in the dust, he noticed something. Footprints, heading up the stairs. He followed them and came to a door.

Cautiously, carefully, he opened it, tensed and ready for action. A light flashed on and almost blinded him. He watched in horror as the timer he had accidently activated went off with a shrill bell. A complicated trap had been activated. At the very end of the long room, the wall had been damaged by an explosion. There was Jonah, bound, gagged and hanging off the edge. The young man's terrified eyes met his. A rope ran from his binds to the trap that Batman had set off.

Suddenly the rope snapped. Everything slowed. Batman leapt across the large room, pushing himself forward as he watched Jonah disappear over the edge. He came to the edge, reached for the rope disappearing into the dark...

And missed.

Jonah's body made a soft _thump _as it hit the ground.

"Jonah!" Batman yelled, gliding down. He knelt by the tall, scrawny body and sliced through his binds and gag. He knew he was too late. A huge spike of scrap metal protruded from Jonah's middle. The boy coughed, blood trickling out of his mouth, his eyes tight shut. Batman held Jonah's head in his hand. "Jonah, open your eyes. Look at me!"

"Ooh, Batman. Didn't know... you... cared..." Jonah coughed again, the trickle growing larger. His blue eyes met Batman's, his scarred mouth smiling slightly. "D- Don't be too angry at Robin. She... it's not her fault..."

"Try not to talk. We need to get you help. You'll be fine."

"You are... an _extraordinary _liar. Listen. The Joker did this to get at Robin. Don't let her go down the wrong path. She... needs you..." Another cough, painfully hoarse. "Just one last thing." He murmured. "What's her _name?"_

Batman watched the light in his blue eyes fade slightly.

"Ruby. Ruby Banks." He murmured. Jonah closed his eyes.

"Ruby. "Beau-ti-ful." Suddenly he laughed. "Robin... Banks. Robbing Banks. That's funny." His laughter died with his last breath. The smile on his lips remained, peaceful and content. Batman laid his head down and disappeared long before the police arrived.

*


	9. I Have Loved, I Have Lost

"This is Daniel Jones, with Gotham 6pm News. Our main story tonight. Today, at six am, the latest victim of the Joker killings was found dead, where, rumour has it, Harvey Dent died over a year ago. However, there appears to be more to the story- as this video, sent to us one hour before the body was found, reveals. Warning- it may contain upsetting content."

Ruby hugged her knees, tears streaming down her face, as she watched the flat-screen TV from her bed. Thankfully, the screen soon cut back to the reporter, who looked even graver. "As has been revealed, the boy, named Jonah, surname unknown, was in fact the son of the terrorist known as the Joker. However, there is even more to the story than a spy who changed sides. There are at least twenty reports of a young man, matching Jonah's description, who saved lives by giving medical attention to victims of his supposed father's terror attacks, and more. Rumour has it that some reports are that Jonah has been seen with masked vigilante, the Robin, but these have not been confirmed. Perhaps friendship endured enmity between Robin's leader and Jonah's father. Julie Hale has the story of one girl who was saved by Gotham's silent hero."

The screen cut to a young girl standing on the street, with long black hair and heavy black makeup. A woman beside her in a red coat holding a microphone began to speak.

"Thanks, Daniel. Here I have Melanie Read. Melanie, describe to us what happened." The girl sniffed nervously.

"Well, um... I was at the mall with my friends one evening when there was this explosion... I was closest to it. I remember it felt like being kicked by a giant cuz I flew- no joke, I actually flew. Something... maybe glass... Cut into my leg here." She motioned to her thigh. "Blood started pumping out. The Joker and his cronies ran off. There was people screaming, and smoke. I thought I was gonna die. Then I looked up..." Her face turned dreamy. "And there was this _beautiful _face above me. Big blue eyes and blonde hair- though most of his face was covered with a green and black scarf. He told me keep still, I'm gonna stop the bleeding. Everything's gonna be all right." She smiled. "And it was. He wrapped up my leg, gave me a drink of water, called an ambulance on my cell and disappeared I would have bled to death if he hadn't been there." Her smile fell. "I... I just can't believe he's dead..."

The red coat woman smiled with fake sympathy.

"Back to you, Daniel, for the weather." She said.

Ruby stabbed the power button on the remote. The screen went blank. She curled up, hugging her knees. Tears blotted her pyjama trousers.

"You recovered quicker than I expected." Alfred's voice made her head snap up. She saw his face crease with concern. He set down the glass of water he was carrying. "Young Ruby? Are you alright?"

"Alfred..." She choked, but burst into tears. His arms hugged her awkwardly.

"Don't tell me. Gotham's Silent Hero. The Joker's son. The one they're all talking about. He was the one."

She responded only by crying harder.

"It's all my fault, Alfred..."

"No, sh."

"No, Alfred! If we hadn't been... seeing each other, the Joker wouldn't have tried to exploit him. He wouldn't have resisted the Joker. He'd still be alive." She sobbed.

"Ruby. Listen to me." The crying calmed down a little. "From what I can tell, I am sure he would have rather of made a stand than stay under the rule of the Joker forever. You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." He murmured. Ruby sniffed.

"That's a good one."

"I can't accept the praise- I heard it from Master Wayne."

"And he heard it from someone else." Bruce said, appearing at the door. Alfred quietly slipped away, and Bruce joined Ruby on the bed. She collapsed against his shoulder and he pulled her into a tight embrace. "I was with him. He didn't die alone."

"What happened?" Ruby whispered. Bruce told her, his eyes lowering in shame.

"I'm sorry. I'm responsible. I should have suspected, I should have known..." He began, but Ruby placed a hand on his cheek.

"No, Bruce. I might be to blame. You are not. Not even slightly." Her face hardened. "Which is more than I can say for that murdering piece of shit." She snarled. Bruce put his hands on her shoulders.

"Ruby. Jonah asked me, with his _dying breath_, to ensure you didn't stray down the wrong path."

"That's not your promise to make."

"I think it is." Bruce stared into her eyes. "Can you promise me you won't go after the Joker?"

She nodded. Smiled weakly. Lowered her eyes.

_It seems I've adopted a lying streak._

*

_Secondary school- it's a bit like a zoo. Or rather, a zoo gone wild, with no cages and only a handful of terrified zookeepers trying to keep order. And just like any place where wild animals rule the roost, it's noisy, smelly, and sticks to the very simple rule- survival of the fittest.__ Especially Greenways Community School._

_I would be in a school a little less... rough than this. But after I was kicked out of three private schools and one boarding school, this was the last choice. I'm not complaining. It suits me a lot better. The brutality of it is far more refreshing than the strained order of "posh" schools._

_That is, as long as you can stay relatively high up the pecking order._

_Unlike him._

"_Hey, Craney!" A burly Neanderthal by the name of George slaps a thin, quiet boy in the back of the head as he passes him in the corridor. His glasses tumble from his pale face and are crushed under Jack's feet. "Oops." George guffaws, his mates laughing. I sigh as the boy bends down and collects up the broken pieces, his face like thunder. He squares up to George, glaring at his through wavy black hair._

_Big mistake. Most people are under the misconception that sixth formers are too grown up to get into fights. Wrong._

_The tall boy- Jack Crane? James? I can't remember- is pushed backwards into a gaggle of squeaking year sevens. George grabs him by his jumper and pushes him up against the wall._

_Oh, great. Not a teacher in sight. Looks like I'm going to have to take this into my own hands._

_I walk up place a hand on George's shoulder._

"_Uh, I think you should leave him be." I say quietly. He turns and stares down incredulously. Ok, so the scrawny, fourteen-year-old, malnourished punk girl versus the school's very own goliath? It may look a little ridiculous._

"_Piss off, little girly." He rumbles. "This is none of your business."_

_Time to adopt a different tactic._

"_Put him down NOW." My sudden raised voice has the desired effect. George drops Crane like a stone but then turns on me. _

"_Who the hell do you think you are?"_

"_You tell me, Georgia." I simper. He sneers._

"_I know who you are. Your mum's a weirdo and your dad's a pisshead. You might have been rich but where's all the money now, eh?" He laughed, his mates joining in nervously. I turn around and walk away. I have to. _

_Two hours later I'm heading home, my backpack slung dejectedly over one shoulder and the sixth former's words ringing in my ears. I'm used to it, though- the Banks scandal is one that's talked about a lot this side of town, and I get the flack for it._

_I come across some shouting and scuffling round a corner. Surprise, surprise, its George and his cronies again. They must really have a grudge against this Crane character- it's him they're laying into, again. When one of them starts smearing mayonnaise into his face I step in._

"_OY!" I yell. They freeze at my excellent impression of the school's terrifying headmaster, Mr Weinhofen, but start laughing when they see it's me. I whip out a pair of knuckle dusters from my jean pocket and slip them on. The laughter dies. "Come on then. If you're okay with beating up one guy when there's four of you, I'm sure you won't have any trouble taking me on." One of them accepts my challenge, coming towards me, but three swift punches to the stomach and he staggers away, wheezing. George gives a gruff order and they all slope off._

_Great. Life's going to get a lot harder for me in school from now on._

_I kneel down beside the skinny boy. I take out a wad of tissue and dab off the worst of the mayo. I notice that his eyes are really light- like ice under a blue sky. They narrow and glare at me, but I frown. "Let me help you, you berk. Stay still." I take out a plaster and stick it to the cut in his head. I'm not the world's best medic, but it'll do. "Sorry if I've made things worse." I murmur, throwing the tissue aside. He stands up and offers a hand. _

"_Not at all. I'm moving back to the states tomorrow, as it happens." He says, smiling slightly. It's the first time I've seen him smile, or heard him speak. He has a nice voice. An even nicer smile. I take his hand, feeling a blush grow across my face._

"_Where are you going?"_

"_Gotham city."_

"_Wow. Mum used to say we've got family there or something. I can't remember."_

"_Maybe..." He trailed off._

"_Yeah. Maybe we can stay in touch. Got an email address?" I ask. He takes out a piece of paper and scribbles his address down. He passes it over, out hands brushing for a moment. He's seventeen, you idiot, he's not going to be interested in you..._

"_Sorry, I didn't catch your name." He murmurs. "I'm Jonathan."_

"_Ruby." I smile. "Adios, Jonathan of the USA. I'll email you."_

"_Can I walk you home?" He asks. I shake my head._

"_I'm okay, thanks. See you."_

_*_

Little did Ruby know then that the email address would get lost and she would forget the strange yet handsome Jonathan Crane. Likewise, she would not expect that he would become the criminal known as Scarecrow.

Jonathan Crane would wait every day, for four hours for months for an email that would never come. He would give up eventually, and put aside all thought of the redheaded fighter who had stuck up for him. He would never guess that she would become Robin, scourge of the criminals of Gotham.

Both of them now sat, on other sides of Gotham city, with an identical nagging feeling in the pit of their stomachs; but as Ruby could only remember a drugged haze, and Jonathan left with broken memories due to the growth of Scarecrow inside him like a cancer, all they could do was sit and wonder.

It's a small world we live in.

*

Rain in Gotham was common. Often, it was the heavy, driving kind that could soak you to the skin in seconds. Gotham Cemetery was no exception.

The rain poured down on the mourners as they gathered around the fresh grave. A memorial plaque to the "Silent Hero of Gotham" was clustered with notes and flowers. The colour of the flowers seemed surreal amongst the grey rain and the black clothes.

Soon, darkness and the rain force the mourners to disperse. Robin leapt down from her hiding place in a nearby tree and bent down next to the grave. Her eyes caught a clumsy cartoon drawing of a little girl holding hands with a tall boy. Behind them was a burning building. In loopy felt-tip writing it said "I will miss yoo Jona. Thankyoo for saving my life." Amongst a hundred other notes and tributes was a black card embellished with silver flowers and writing. Inside it read "If only sorrow could build a staircase, or tears could show the way, we would climb our way to heaven, and bring him home again."

She recognised the lyrics from a band she listened to. The song held a lot of pain and memories. Seeing them at Jonah's grave…

Tears mixed with the rain, trailing down her face despite the red hood she had pulled up against the downpour. The sudden revving of an engine made her jump and look up beyond the railings of the cemetery. A hearse was parked outside the cemetery gates. A familiar face at the driver's seat winked then roared away as fast as the vehicle would allow.

Robin leapt up and howled to the rain.

"JOKER!" She screamed.

She gave chase across Gotham city.


	10. Hell To Pay

Jim Gordon was a busy man- he had a fairly nice office but didn't get to spend much time in it. With the weight of Gotham's police on his shoulders he often joked to himself that he was going to pack the job in and hand everything over to the Batman and his young deputy.

Clutching a much-needed cup of coffee he climbed the stairs to his office and switched the light on. He gasped, the Styrofoam cup falling to the floor.

Ever since the Joker had left it on his doorstep, the cage with the tame robin inside had sat on his desk. Not having the heart to kill it he'd fed it through the bars and had the cage carefully cleaned every couple of days.

Nothing in the room suggested a break-in. All was in its place. But the little bird lay on the floor of its cage, its neck cleanly broken.

*

The Narrows was truly the place in Gotham closest to hell. It was a breeding ground for crime and violence, a collection of filthy, run-down buildings clustered around Arkham Asylum. Robin was often told to avoid it when necessary, but as the hearse carrying the Joker zoomed over the bridge she pursued it relentlessly. Sometimes running, sometimes leaping over rooftops, a week's worth of pure hate boiled in her veins, driving her on. The chase took her to the other side of the Narrows, along a rickety wooden pier and...

Out onto the water.

She watched, confused, as the hearse tumbled over the edge and landed in the water with a splash. It sank clumsily, leaving most of the vehicle out of the water as it hit the muddy bottom of Gotham Harbour.

She didn't think for one second that the Joker was still inside. She looked around.

_Where did he go, then?_

Suddenly there was a shrill whistle from one of the abandoned, rusted boats across the water. About five metres away the Joker stood at the prow of an old fishing boat covered with graffiti and rust.

"Uh, yoo-hoo, Little Red!" He called. "What's up? Did the bluster go out of your vengeance?"

_Never._

Three bounds across the tightly-packed rowing boats and she was within leaping distance of the large fisher. She jumped for it, almost missing. The rust scraped away the thin fabric of her gloves and removed several layers of skin. Scrambling, she vaulted over the side, her eyes fixed on the Joker.

"This ends tonight. _You _end tonight." She snarled. The Joker howled with laughter.

"Maybe! But I think before the night is out, it'll be _you _who _I _watch die, Little RED!" He pulled a flick knife. The blade slid from the sheath. "Now I'm not scared of, uh, _popping my clogs _as you brits like to say-ah." He giggled. "But letting you kill me would be _embarrassing."_

She pounced, fist swung back, but a large, heavy chain swung from nowhere and caught her square in the stomach. All the breath whooshed out of her and she stumbled. Rough hands grabbed her. Gasping, she tried to fight back, but her hands, feet, arms and legs were all pinned. A swift punch to the face sent stars spiralling across her vision and darkness to blanket her. The last thing she saw was the Joker's grinning face.

*

"Can you _swim, _Little Red?"

Robin slowly opened her eyes. She was slowly swaying. Chains wrapped round her body pinned her limbs in place and suspended her from a large hook over the side of the boat. Heavy weights were dotted along the chains like Christmas lights. Below, the sea surged, the filthy water spraying up occasionally. "You know, what they flush in the city ends up down there." The Joker pointed out. "So you wanna spill the beans on old Batsy or you wanna take a _dip?"_

"I'd rather die. And you know that, Joker, so why are you even asking?" Robin snarled, kicking slightly. The Joker giggled, setting off a nervous murmur of laughter through his clowns.

"You can't _blame _a man for trying."

"Tell him that."

Like a huge black bird the Batman descended and grabbed the nearest clown, throwing him overboard into the water. He made for the Joker, but the madman held up his hand, pointing a gun at Robin. Batman froze instantly.

"Ah-ah-ah. Steady now, _stud."_

"Get him!" Yelled Robin.

"Yeah, Batman, come get me, and I'll just bump another little friend off for you." The Joker laughed. He kicked at the door of a wire mesh cage and a pair of Rottweilers bounded forward, snarling. They tore at Batman, bringing him to his knees. The remaining four clowns took their chance, moving in with crowbars and tasers. "Stop, stop, that's _enough, _boys." The Joker said, scratching irritably at his neck where the rain was making his makeup run. The clowns dispersed, some holding on to Batman's arms. Robin yelled in fury, kicking against the chains. The Joker walked up, bounced up on the side of the boat and held her face in his hand, squeezing too tight. She spat in his face. The Joker stuffed his gun down his pants and pulled a knife instead. "All _righty!" _He giggled. "Here's the deal, Bats." The knife trailed across Robin's cheek, leaving a red line from mask to chin. The Joker licked the blood off the blade. "You take your little mask off and I'll let her live."

"No! He's lying, don't listen to him!" Robin screamed. A punch in the face silenced her momentarily.

"Believe me, Bats, if you don't she's on her way to birdie heaven." One of the clowns reached for the mask, but the Joker threw the knife. It landed embedded in his hand. The clown howled and staggered back. "Leave it! He's got a choice!" There was a silence. Then, slowly, Batman's hands reached for his mask.

"We all have a choice." Robin murmured. One hand had wriggled free of the chains and punched the Joker in the back of the head. Before the maniac fell from his perch she grabbed the holster of the gun that was sticking out of his purple trousers. The Joker leapt up but she pointed the gun at him, eyes blazing.

"You're a murdering freak of nature." She snarled.

"Everyone's a _critic. _Go on then. What are you waiting for?" He replied. He walked forward and rested his forehead on the gun. "But, _oh, _all the lives you'll be avenging. All the future lives you'll be _saving. _Just do it. Go on. Pull the trigger. DO IT!" He yelled.

"Robin..." Batman croaked.

"He's a murderer!" Robin yelled, at herself more than anyone else.

"You don't have to become one." Batman replied. Robin looked at him, her green eyes wide and sad.

"I already am."

She slammed the gun into the Joker's face. He fell back and watched as she raised the gun in the air, pointing it up at the cables above her.

"What are you doing?" He asked pleasantly.

"Cutting out the middle man."

"NO!" Batman yelled. Robin closed her eyes and pulled the trigger. There was a bang and the cable, already rusted through, snapped. She fell through the filthy water and sank down, down, down. It wasn't long before the Joker could no longer see her through the murky depths.

"Well." He said, as his clowns struggled to restrain Batman. "That was... unexpected."

*

At first she struggled. The water tasted rank in her mouth and stung her eyes. Her lungs burned after about half a minute. Bubbles left her mouth in a desperate stream as she tried to kick upwards towards the dim light. Pressure built in her head, her heart pounded painfully.

It all changed once she felt the muddy bottom of the harbour touch her back. The cold began to seep through to her bones. Not peace, exactly, but a kind of acceptance settled over her. _Bruce has no reason now to reveal himself. He'll get out. He'll be fine._

Her vision faded to black, so she shut her eyes. Her limbs began to feel soft yet heavy, so she stopped moving. Her mouth opened involuntarily. Water filled her lungs. Something began to tug at her consciousness. Fighting it was like trying to stay awake.

Then something really did start tugging her. Her one free arm felt a strong hand wrap around the wrist. Something clanked and snapped and she felt the chains fall away. All of a sudden she was coming away from the muddy bottom and up. Or was it down? She couldn't work it out, and she found that she couldn't stay conscious long enough to find out. Everything went black and silent as she slipped away.

*

The cold water rippled and burst as Jonathan Crane gasped for air. He pulled Robin up through the water beside him and heaved through the rubbish and mud to get onto the bank, cursing with every breath he took. Somewhere he heard the Joker laughing. Probably laying into the Batman. Who cared?

He dragged the lifeless girl onto the bank and bent down beside her. So many people were going to want his hide after he did this. Her included. She hated him. No... Robin hated him. Ruby Banks liked him. Or had liked him. Damn. Jonathan was not used to dealing with affairs of the touchy-feely.

_Does she remember?_

_**Does she want to remember the pathetic little weed she rescued six years ago? I wouldn't.**_

"Scarecrow, shut your mouth!" Jonathan said out loud.

_**Ooh! Look who's touchy all of a sudden! **_His alternative personality answered, but Scarecrow did as he was told. Jonathan used the momentary peace to check the girl's breathing and pulse. Her pulse was weak, her breath non-existent. Only one thing for it.

_**Go for it, Stud.**_

Jonathan took a deep breath and pressed his lips to Robin's.

_Now we're even, little bird._

*

The moment Robin sank from view the Joker turned back to face Batman, grinning.

"Oh, I do _love _a twist to the tale." He laughed as the clowns and the dogs saw an opportunity to pummel and tear at the masked man. The Joker screamed with laughter, joining in. Batman lay on the deck, taking the punishment. The Joker batted his cronies out of the way and grabbed Batman's neck. "Look at me." The Joker demanded. Dark eyes met his. "Make no mistake, _Batsy, _you've been a bad little bat. That _poor _girl... tagging around after you, taking punches and, uh, whatnotin _your _name..." He squeezed Batman's throat harder and pulled a knife. "And yet, never being rewarded in the way she _truly _wants." He giggled. "Ya know, Bats, you're just as mad as me... you got a dame like that running around after you and you do _nothing. _You're either mad or blind or totally _bent! _And now she's at the bottom of Gotham _harbour! _Oh, the _irony!" _He replaced his hand with the knife and moved in to whisper in his enemy's ear. "First... whatsername... Rachel. And now your little birdie. Oh, you're so _alone."_

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?"

Every pair of eyes looked to the side of the boat. Soaking wet and shivering, Robin crouched there, breathing heavily. Worse for wear, but gloriously, unmistakeably alive. The fire reignited in Batman's heart.

_She's alive, she's alive, I haven't killed another..._

A shard of lightning split the sky, silhouetting Robin for a second. Thunder rumbled. Perfectly balanced Robin rose to her feet and threw something. An explosion rocked the boat and smoke rose from the deck. The Joker cursed as his men started to panic and abandon ship. He was thrown off Batman. Suddenly, through the smoke, he saw a red shadow heading for him.

The Joker was slammed against the deck. A punch in the face broke his nose and sent blood splattering over the deck. The rain stopped. The Joker looked up at the clearing sky, cackling.

"I still win." He croaked. Robin didn't reply. She simply bound him and threw him aside as the police boats and a helicopter began to swarm the fishing boat.

"Let's scatter." She said to Batman, a smile on her bruised lips. She turned back to the Joker, a dismissive sneer on her face. "We're done here." The Joker nodded.

"Until next time, Little Red. Watch out, I think your friends want to talk to you."

The Police circled closer. Gordon was on one of the boats.

"We have you surrounded! Come quietly or we will have to use force!"

"Ever the good little PC, Jimmy." Robin murmured. Batman slipped her a breathing device. She looked at him. "Not the water aga-"

She didn't have time to finish before he pulled her over the side, just as a tranquilizer dart whistled past her head.

*

"It wasn't the loan sharks that killed my dad and burned our home." Said Robin quietly. They sat atop Arkham Asylum, watching over the harbour at the little ant-like boats carrying policeman and news reporters swarmed around the old fisher. "It was me." Silence. Robin took a breath. "He attacked me that night. Been drinking even more than usual. By then I'd been training myself in three different martial arts. I could have killed him the moment he made for me, but a part of me still loved him. A part of me still does." She wiped her nose on her sleeve in an almost infantile gesture. "I thought he'd back off when I got the kitchen knife. But he ran at me. I didn't even mean to. It just happened.

The fire wasn't me really. It was my dad's cigarette. I got out and ran. They caught up with me but I wasn't charged, just shoved in a Home. I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I just thought..."

"You're not a killer, Ruby." Batman murmured. Robin jumped at the use of her real name. "It wasn't your fault."

More silence. Robin's thoughts turned to Jonah, and Bruce's Rachel.

"It's true. What we fear. We fight as champions for the people of Gotham, countless lives in our hands. And in the end, we end up alone." Robin whispered, hugging her knees. She rested her head against Batman's shoulder. He put his arm round her, but said nothing. Nothing to contradict what she had just said, no "you've got me, Ruby". Just a comforting touch between friends.

She realised that didn't hurt her as much as it would have done. She had hardened to times like this, but they couldn't continue.

It was time she made a choice.


	11. You're In My Heart

The Batcave would one day be spectacular. As it was, it was pretty impressive but still under construction. The huge cavern was dotted with control panels here and there, most unfinished. The Tumbler, still being repaired after over a year out of action, lay under a tarpaulin sheet. Ruby, shouldering her backpack and attaching another to her motorbike, left something on a workbench. Bruce stared at her, while Alfred watched from a distance.

"Robin has always been _yours, _Bruce. It is yours to do with as you wish. It's time I made my own legacy." She smiled softly. "I'm going to miss you both."

"Then why go, girl?" Alfred demanded, hugging her. Ruby sniffed, trying not to cry.

"You know why, Alfred, both of you do. It's time I flew the nest." She smiled at the joke as Alfred handed her an envelope.

"There's the address. If you need any help renovating, let us know." Bruce said finally.

"Oh, I don't know about that. Lucias Fox approached me the other day. I offered him a job."

"You what?" Alfred asked.

"Yup. I told him that I was setting up a supporting base for Bruce and I asked him to help me get started." Ruby replied. Bruce felt a little better knowing she'd have an eye kept on her.

Bruce helped her wheel her bike to the waterfall.

"So. If you're not Robin anymore, who are you?" He asked, smiling sadly. She kissed him on the cheek and pulled her helmet on.

"Check out your mythology. You'll get it quick enough."

She roared away, leaping through the cascading water. Still wearing her hooded red cape it fanned out behind her. Red helmet, red cape, red bike. Like a living flame. She disappeared into the dark beyond. Bruce thought for a minute, then a light danced in his eyes.

"Phoenix."

*

The Joker sat in the dark warehouse, lounging on a filthy sofa in a filthy mood, contemplating his partial defeat and near escape the week before.

Damn Batman. Damn Robin. Damn his brat for fucking things up. He sighed and stretched out. No matter. He would endure and continue.

He became aware of a presence behind him.

"Well, uh, hello. You know, it's useless trying to sneak up on one such as me-ah." He announced, hand reaching for his knife. A pair of hands grabbed the back of the sofa and tipped it back. The Joker came face-to-face with large blue eyes set in a white-painted face.

"Heya, puddin'. Long time no see."

***

TO BE CONTINUED...

***

Thank you so much my beloved reviewers. You are what makes a writer tick. I need your opinion now. The following characters are definitely going to appear and become fairly main- Dick Grayson AKA Robin and Harley Quinn. Of course The Joker will be bouncing around, and I'm pretty sure The Riddler's going to make an appearance. But if there's anyone else- villain or hero- that you want to see, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks again,

Neko XXXXXXXXXXXX


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